One day in November 2023, an alert popped up on Ms Han Bi Guang’s mobile phone about a medical emergency in the vicinity.

Ms Han, who had learnt first aid skills at the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) Academy, rushed to the scene after the call for help on myResponder, an app by the Singapore Civil Defence Force. She performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a man in cardiac arrest and saved his life.

For her heroic act, the 51-year-old full-time caregiver to her father received the SRC Lifesaver Award on Sept 2.

She was among the 223 individuals and 57 organisations honoured during the annual SRC award ceremony at HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse. The event was graced by SRC’s patron, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Ms Han, who had saved a schoolmate from drowning during pre-university, hopes more people will pick up life-saving skills.

“When an emergency happens, it can be a neighbour, the domestic helper or whoever is nearby who can make all the difference,” she told The Straits Times.

To reach out to more people, SRC chairman Tan Kai Hoe said SRC is committed to progressively expanding the scale and scope of its humanitarian services.

In addition to its first aid service at national and community events, SRC is working closely with the National Parks Board to expand its First Aiders on Wheels programme to include more parks. The programme mobilises volunteers to provide first aid to those in need, such as attending to their physical injuries, providing assurance and comfort, or calling for an emergency ambulance.

SRC will also support the migrant worker community through activities and training that enhance their well-being, as well as last-mile assistance if they need medical conveyance back to their homes.

It will adopt innovative technologies to enhance training and improve disaster response, said Mr Tan.

Red Cross Youth’s new curriculum now includes mental wellness, social entrepreneurship as well as new technology – such as virtual reality and drone operations – to prepare young people for humanitarian operations.

SRC is also exploring enhanced features for its Home Monitoring and Eldercare programme, or HoME+, to ensure the safety and well-being of seniors.

The Red Cross Home for the Disabled has adopted robotic assistance and other innovative solutions to ensure a better quality of care.

Red Cross Juniors will connect with elderly beneficiaries to promote intergenerational bonding. A Red Cross Golden club will soon be launched to attract more senior volunteers, said Mr Tan.

To commemorate its 75th anniversary in 2024, SRC launched the Together for Humanity Award on Sept 2 to recognise 17 individuals and organisations that have played an integral role in advancing its work over the decades.

One of the three individual recipients was philanthropist and fund-raiser Genevieve Peggy Jeffs. The long-time volunteer has chaired five galas and four international bazaars for SRC, and is organising the 75th Anniversary Benefit Gala in November.

The award was a pleasant surprise, and she has to work even harder, Mrs Jeffs said with a laugh.

She had received SRC’s Commendation Award in 2013 and the Outstanding Service Award in 2017.

“When we think about the cause and the people that we help, it pushes us to continue to do better and find more innovative ways to fund-raise for our communities,” she said.

During the award ceremony, Mr Tharman also launched SRC’s 75th Anniversary community outreach by lighting up the first pop-up at HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse.

Themed “Coast to Coast, Heart to Heart”, the interactive showcase features SRC’s initiatives, and offers a glimpse into the future of humanitarian work.

The community pop-up will travel across Singapore to various locations including Suntec City and IMM Mall.

Mr Goh Jia Yong, a third-year food technology undergraduate at the Singapore Institute of Technology who received the President’s Youth Award, hopes more young people will step forward as volunteers.

A member of Red Cross Youth since 2014, the 23-year-old was inspired by his mother, who was a Red Cross youth cadet during her secondary school days. As a volunteer officer, Mr Goh mentors and trains cadets and volunteer instructors in lifesaving skills and humanitarian work.

“The reward we receive is when we see our beneficiaries’ lives improve or our youth grow stronger and confident over time,” he said.

Mr Satyanarayana Mylavarapu, who received the High Commendation Award, graduated in 2016 from the overseas disaster deployment training programme, and is now a trainer who shares his knowledge and skills. He has helped donate groceries, hygiene kits and food during overseas missions.

“I feel blessed as I had the rare privilege to serve not only Singapore, my second home, but also my motherland, India,” said the 50-year-old investment advisor.

“I could serve my country during the Kerala floods in 2021, and also had the opportunity to serve 19 states of India during the pandemic.”

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.